Our Park Manager is Moving On— Congratulations!

Summer
Winter2011
2012
Dedication to Barry deSatnick (June 5, 1933—July 9, 2011)
Our
Park Manager
is Moving On—
Congratulations!
Bonnie Wright, Past-President FOHI, Board Member
Barry deSatnick joined the Friends of Hunting Island State
Park shortly after retiring to the Beaufort area in 2003,
when he and his wife, Pat, visited the park and listened to
a volunteer’s talk at the lighthouse.
With all of that being said, it is with the utmost respect and
sincerity, I say thank you for all you have done for the park and the
people who visit it. You have made this place a special memory
days
of because
his beloved
lightfor me
of your
passion. Due to your help in making the
programs and events at Hunting Island State Park so successful, I
house.
will be taking a new job as a Regional Program Coordinator for the
Bonnie
recently
MountainWright
Region of
SC State Parks.
remarked, “ I was very
fond
ofnew
Barryposition,
and it was
In this
I willa work to increase business and improve
visitor services
creating
pleasure
workingby
with
him and improving new programs and
events
to get people
our parks. I am excited with this new role
on
the Friends’
Board.in He
believe
I can make
a difference due to the experience I have
isand
missed
by many,
but his
gained
from
being
at
Hunting
Island and working with you. I wish
efforts with FOHI will be
you
all
the
best
and
I
know
I
will
still be working with you in the
remembered for generafuture on projects in one way or another. I wish you all Merry
tions.”
Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Barry
was raised
in Cape
May, NJ, and growing up he develJeff
Atkins,
HISP Park
Manager
oped a special affinity for lighthouses. His mom had a
beach
houseyear
on the
Jersey
which
rentedtoto think
tour- how
As
another
comes
to Shore
a close,
it isshe
amazing
ists, andtime
he joined
the Beach
Patrol
in his teens.
From
the
quickly
has seemed
to pass.
I remember
being
introduced
at
theofFriends
annual membership
in the
December
2005 as
top
the lifeguards’
platform he meeting
could see
Cape May
the
new parkinmanager.
I had where
no ideahis
thestepmother
changes, challenges,
Lighthouse
the distance,
sold tick- and
successes
that would As
follow
over the
years. Here
ets as a volunteer.
he grew
up, next
wentseven
to college,
and are
just
a
few
that
come
to
mind:
began a career, the memory of that lighthouse stayed with
A private memorial serandre-nourishment
he remained aproject
member
of thesummer
Cape May
Beach
See you in the parks! Jeff
•him,
Beach
starting
of 2006
vice will be held for Barry
Patrol
Benevolent
Society
until
his
death.
through early 2007
deSatnick in Cape May in the Fall. The family has requested
•Barry
Started
program
June 2006,
building
wasS.C.O.R.E.
a member
of the in
Friends’
Board
and a oyster
Director
that any donations
his memory
be sent to Friends
of Hunting
Mark inthose
calendars
for all
habitat
for
lighthouse activities during the very important 150th
Island State Park, P O Box 844, St. Helena Island, SC 9920-0844
•Lighthouse
ClassroomAnniversary
addition at Nature
Center
in 2007
in October
2009.
For over a year
thesetoupcoming
events!
marked “Lighthouse”
see Barry’s dream
fulfilled.
leading
up
to
the
celebration,
Barry
spearheaded
the pro• ADA restroom addition in campground 2007
tostore
haverenovation
the lighthouse
•ject
Park
2007freshly painted in time for the
Friends of Hunting Island Annual Meeting,
celebration.
Through
his
experience
• Going to Washington DC previous
with you professional
to receive Take
Pride in
with
DuPont
Paint
Co.
and
his
wide
contacts
with
a
variety
Saturday, December 15th, Social begins at
America Award in 2007 [Thanks Bonnie Wright! –editor]
paint and
rawrenovation
materials suppliers,
10:00, meeting follows immediately after,
•ofNature
Center
in 2008 he was able to get all
the
paint
donated.
The
project
was
completed
well
in
adHunting Island Nature Center
• New restroom built at South Beach in 2008
vance over two weeks’ time in mid-February, 2009.
• 75th anniversary of state parks celebration in 2008
Pelican Plunge, Hunting Island North Beach
prepare the lighthouse
for its
anniversary
•ToImplementation
of point of sale
system
for retail spotlight,
outlets in
January 1st @ 1pm, 2013
Barry
2008also directed the activities of a group of college stuvolunteers
in Plunge,
paintingSand
the Sculpture,
lighthouse’s
•dent
Inaugural
Pelican
andout
5K buildings
Walk/Run
Biathlon, Hunting Island Lagoon
and
surrounding
events
in 2009 fence. Once these tasks were completed,
March 9th, 2013
th
turned
his attention
to obtaining
a special
lighthouse
•he150
Lighthouse
Anniversary
celebration
in 2009
stamp
fromand
theexhibit
Unitedinstallation
States Postin Office.
•postmark
Lighthouse
painting
2009 After
Women’s Coastal Skills Clinic,
much
time
and
effort,
the
request
was
granted
by the USPS
• 5.5 miles of trail improvements in 2009 and 2010
Hunting Island Nature Center
and a souvenir Pictorial Postmark Envelope was produced
• Visitor Center pond, exhibits, and renovation work in 2009
April 11th-13th, 2013
to be sold as a fundraiser for the lighthouse during the
• Campground improvements in 2010
150th celebration.
Sand Sculpture Contest,
• New fee stations and entrance changes in 2010
Because of Barry’s hard work and dedication, park visitors
Hunting Island North Beach
• ADA beach access improvements, outside showers, and
will
continue
to enjoy
the in
beauty
Carolina’s
only
changing
rooms
installed
2011, of
notSouth
to mention
the $65k
July 27 th, 2013
lighthouse
that
is
open
to
the
public
for
many
years
to
come.
worth of work completed in 2006 and 2007 that included sea
5K Walk/Run, Hunting Island
grass
It oat
wasand
alsobeach
his plan
toplantings
spearhead a project to paint the inNature Center, October 12th, 2013
•side
ADAofsites
in 2012
the installed
lighthouse.
But, as his illness progressed he
•reluctantly
The unfortunate
manyposition
old friends
theon
acquisition
gave uploss
hisofboard
andand
work
behalf
many
new ones.Friends of Hunting Island have lost a
ofofthe
lighthouse.
PaddleFest 2013, Hunting Island Lagoon,
•dedicated
And how supporter
can we forget
lossfriends
of almost
all ofso
themany
cabinof
and the
a true
as have
Saturday, November 2nd
changed
the facehim
of Hunting
Island
andimportant
made huge
usarea
whothat
worked
alongside
during the
most
operational changes to the park?
The FOHI Annual
Membership Meeting and
Election of New Officers
She has been called the “heart and soul” of today’s Friends. In
her most recent capacity as business and government liaison, she
has kept us connected to what’s current with Beaufort County
and the national conservation non-profit community. As vice
president, she will not be able to take over the president position
again, but can continue to serve Friends as we move into the next
few vital years.
The Board of Directors Nominating Committee has the task of
presenting a slate of candidates for election by the membership at
the December Annual Meeting, scheduled for 15 December this
year. Serving on the committee this year are out-going President
Jonathan Greene; Secretary Nancy Grimaldi; and Director at
Large Cyndi Follrich. An election process is not defined in our bylaws, but nominations for board positions are welcome from the
floor at the annual meeting. Without additional nominations, the
slate presented each year by the nominating committee is usually
approved as a whole by acclamation.
Dick has recommended to the board that the director of park
projects position remain open this year, as he will continue to
facilitate coordination of the committees that are doing the work
on the ground at the park. We seek a highly competent person for
this position in the future. We have left a board seat open in the
past until we are able to find a suitable person—so the nominating
committee is comfortable with the current arrangement. We have
no other names at this time but continue to be open to suggestions.
Cyndi Follrich, Chair, Nominating Committee
Terms on the Friends of Hunting Island Board are two years with
the option to serve in the same position for two terms. Five board
members are willing to stay in their respective positions. Nancy
Grimaldi and Treasurer John Dittmer, are in the first year of their
respective second terms. Cyndi and Communications Director
Bruce Doneff have each served two years and are both willing
to stand for another term in the same positions. Director of
Outreach and Fundraising Chuck Lurey, has served for one year
of his term.
Departing the board is Vice President Tom Valentino. Jon Greene
remains on the board as past president, but is a non-voting
member (as is the HISP Park Manager). The Director of Park
Projects Dick Geier is retiring from that position. The Nominating
Committee therefore recommends the following people for the
open positions:
• President: Dick Geier
• Vice-President: Bonnie Wright
• Director of Park Projects: Open
If you have not met Dick in his capacity as the director of park
projects or on turtle patrol (Thursday Day Leader), allow us to
introduce him: Richard Geier retired from the US Army after
a 30-year career. Dick has a bachelor’s degree in economics,
a master’s degree in military science, a master’s degree in
national security and strategic studies, and a master’s degree
in management. He has served in various leadership and
teaching positions in academia and technology in the Seattle
area. He and his wife Denise moved to Beaufort over five years
ago. He completed the Clemson-sponsored Senior Leadership
and Master Naturalist Programs. He volunteers with Help of
Beaufort, delivers Mobile Meals, and serves on the board
of the Battery Point Homeowners Association. He is active
in the Beaufort Sport Fishing and Diving Club, the Beaufort
Toastmasters Club, and the American Legion Post 9.
Few members of Friends of Hunting Island need an introduction
to Bonnie Wright, who served as President from 2005 to 2010.
Page 2
At the end of the year, many members ask about the coordinator
positions outlined in our operating handbook, both filled and
open. Names to fill coordinator positions are suggested by the
director with oversight of that are and are then confirmed by
the Board. Please let us know if you have an interest in any of
these very important positions. We interviewed the current
coordinators and report the following members and vacancies.
• Business and Governmental Liaison: Bonnie Wright – could
use help with this important work as she takes over at VP
• Construction: open
• Database: Peter Pearks – willing to continue
• Docents/Nature Center: Gerry Johnson – will continue
to guide
• Education Liaison: Denise Parsick – serving in earnest
• Environment: Mary Ann Radke – continuing to serve
• Finance: not active at this time
• Grant Writing: open
• Lighthouse: Pete Wolf – gearing up for continued service
• Litter Control: Vicki Anne Nestor & Jane Ann Lotton –
continuing to serve
• Membership: Carolyn Westman – willing to serve
• Newsletter: Tim Devine continues to serve
• Social Committee: Bobbi Weber – ready to retire
• Turtles: Buddy Lawrence, Denise Parsick, & Karen
Whitehead – carrying on for turtles!
• Volunteers: Chuck Lurey is covering
• Website: Cyndi Follrich – not willing to stop
The Nominating Committee appreciates all the help and ideas
forwarded to us. If you have any great thoughts, please contact
any one of us or another board member or coordinator.
Friends of Hunting Island State Park
P O Box 844
St. Helena Island, SC 29920
A 501 (C)3 Organization
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jonathan Greene, President
(h) 843.838.7822 (c) 843.812.5007
[email protected]
Tom Valentino, Vice-President/Trails
(h) 843.379.4895 (c) 912.667.3774
[email protected]
John Dittmer, Treasurer
(h) 843.838.9252 (c) 843.812.1311
[email protected]
Nancy Grimaldi, Secretary
(h) 843.838.0822 (c) 843.476.8196
[email protected]
Bruce Doneff, Director, Communications
(h) 843.379.3558 (c) 843.476.3022
[email protected]
Cyndi Follrich, Director-at-Large
(c) 843.592.2322
[email protected]
Dick Geier, Director, Project Coordination
(h) 843.525.6619 (c) 843.441.6683
[email protected]
From the
President’s Pen
Jon Greene, President, FOHI
As I sit here composing my last edition of From
the President’s Pen, I want to shout out a huge
and very loud THANK YOU to each and every
family member of Friends of Hunting Island—
we are over 800 families strong! I’ve learned
in my two-year term much about FOHI, Hunting Island, and greater Beaufort. But in all my
learning the one thing that repeatedly has impressed me is the strength of our volunteers.
Think for just a moment if you will about the
absurdity of asking well over 100 people to
get up before sunrise, drive to HISP, and walk
the beach looking for turtle tracks. Yet, I never
heard a single complaint about finding enough
folks willing to help in this important endeavor.
Similarly, with all of the special events that
FOHI and the park now hold throughout the
Chuck Lurey, Director, Outreach and Fundraising
(h) 843.838.3444 (c) 843.694.3936
[email protected]
Bonnie Wright (non-voting)
President ex-officio, Business Liaison
(h) 843.379.5779 (c) 843.252.5900
[email protected]
Jeff Atkins (non-voting)
Park Manager, Hunting Island State Park
(w) 843.838.4868
[email protected]
COORDINATORS
Jane Anne Lotton, Assistant Litter Coordinator
(h) 843.379.5821 [email protected]
Vicki Anne Nestor, Litter Coordinator
(h) 843.379.3389 [email protected]
Denise Parsick, Education Programs Coordinator
(c) 843.263.8866 [email protected]
Peter Pearks, Database Coordinator
(h) 843.838.2506 [email protected]
Mary Ann Radke, Environment Coordinator
(h) 843.838.1149 (c) 586.260.7908
[email protected]
Bobbi Weber, Social Chair
(h) 843.838.5958 [email protected]
Carolyn Westman, Membership
Coordinator, Historian
(h) 843.838.7100
Karen Whitehead, Turtle Coordinator
(h) 843.838.7627 (c) 803.730.4163
[email protected]
Pete Wolf, Lighthouse Coordinator
(h) 843.379.9239 (c) 843.694.3467
[email protected]
Tim Devine , Loggerhead Layout and
Graphic Design
(c) 843.271.4772 [email protected]
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
From the Park Manager Cover
2013 Events
Cover
Membership Meeting
2
From the President’s Pen
3
Paddlefest!
3
From Past President:
Roberta Gunderson
4
From Past President:
Bonnie Wright
4
Lighthouse Report
5
Magic Lighthouse Moment
5
Volunteer Carol Molten
6
Nature Center Notes
6
Hunting Island 5K Event
7
Turtle Report
7
Pelican Plunge
8
year, we ask for volunteers to do some pretty
far reaching things—picking up trash left behind, smoothing sand sculptures, jumping into
the icy Atlantic on New Year’s Day, or standing in the hot August sun while staffing a FOHI
booth at a festival. Never once do I recall having difficulty finding the folks to fulfill any of
the needs of our organization.
So to all of you—I say, Thank You. Each and
every one of you is an asset to Friends of Hunting Island. Each of you should know that without your willingness to help again and again,
it would make someone else’s job that much
more difficult. Each of you has made my job
a pleasure. Each of you should be extremely
proud to be a part of such a wonderful group
of dedicated, hard-working people.
It has been my pleasure to lead this organization for two wonderful years. The list of accomplishments is long and impressive. Together we have achieved many milestones. But the
memory that I will hold dear is your spirit and
dedication. Thank you all.
Another Fantastic
Paddlefest!
Thanks to Dinah Brock¸
FOHI Member, for this update
Paddlefest 2012 recently concluded and the event just
keeps getting better. In the three-mile event, we had
25 boats and 28 paddlers—that’s 22 single kayaks and
3 tandem kayaks. In the six-mile event, there were 29
boats with 31 paddlers –composed of 29 single kayaks
and 2 tandems. For those keeping score, that’s 59
paddlers this year!
Once again this year the proceeds of the event will
be donated to Friends of Hunting Island and the total
donation comes to a bit over $1150.
Each year it takes a dedicated team to make this event
happen and this year we give thanks to Charlotte
Gonzalez, the #1 volunteer through the years; Dennis
Lollis and Bonnie Gregory, very close #2 volunteers
behind Charlotte who have been with us forever
helping, participating on the water AND making raffle
items!; Tim Lovett, manager/owner Higher Ground [the
main sponsoring organization –editor]; Rob Marek who
pulled the cookout together; Ashley Hair Rhodes who
coordinated the race results; cash sponsors were Seven
Rivers Aviation out of Georgetown, SC, and Lowcountry
Real Estate, Beaufort; Epic Kayaks, who donated the
much sought after Wing Paddle!; Beaufort Water Search
& Rescue; The Kayak Farm provided the buoys; AND
the raffle would not have been so successful had it not
been for the tireless efforts of Paula Berube! Plus, we
couldn’t have done it without all the wonderful park
service employees! [and thank you, Dinah! –editor]
Page 3
FOHI 20th Anniversary: Past Presidents Look Back I
Roberta Gunderson,
1999 – 2004
Friends of Hunting Island is 20 years old in
2013, and I have been involved in this dynamic organization for 18 of those years.
Friends hardly merited the title of organization back then. It was simply a group of
folks who wanted to help the park in whatever way we could. I started out as a turtle
patrol volunteer, a job I had coveted for
many years before moving to South Carolina. When I read Pat Conroy’s Prince of
Tides back in Ohio, that was the first I knew
of loggerhead turtles and their eggs and
their endangered status. I was totally enthralled with the idea of walking the beach
at dawn and protecting those eggs. So it
was a dream come true when I learned
that we had moved to Pat Conroy country
and loggerhead turtle country.
Very soon, Warren Dickson, the first leader
of Friends of Hunting Island, asked me to
join the board as the person in charge of litter control at the park. I agreed immediately
and quickly was running daily, weekly, and
special occasion cleanups. We always had
a loyal group of volunteers, but the numbers were nowhere near where they are
now. We started all our projects in a small
and quiet way, but we were doing valuable
and appreciated work, and the organization
grew and grew. Eventually I became president and kept that job for five years.
I have limited space here, so I will mention
the two contributions to the park that I am
proudest of. One was finding funding to
renourish the beach. The project started
with working with State Representative Edie Rodgers and
later with State Representative
Catherine Ceips with support
from State Senator Scott Richardson. What an adventure
that was! A contingent of about
20 Friends went to the Statehouse in Columbia to petition
the Governor and members of
both houses to find the money
to fund the renourishment. I
had never done anything like
that, and most of our group
had not either. But we learned
quickly. We divided up and half
of us attended the Democratic caucus, and
the other half attended the Republican
caucus. But it was the one-on-one chats
that made the difference. The first member
of congress that I found in his office asked
me why he should support our request. I
stammered and stuttered, and walked out
feeling a bit foolish. But that didn’t happen
again. I was armed with my facts during all
future encounters. We all learned fast to
be ready to defend our need. It took many
years and many frustrations before the renourishment project happened. But it did
happen, and we can take the credit for it.
The second big project of which I am very
proud is the establishment of the Hunting Island license plate. (Actually, I was past president by then, but this project was my baby!)
Once again, Catherine Ceips was our entrée
into the process. Carol Murphy (currently
Beaufort County recycling coordinator) and
I worked together with Catherine and later
with the Congressional Attorney to prepare
a bill to present to both houses. Eventually
it took shape and, after a few false starts, it
passed both houses. Next, Carol and I had to
work with the South Carolina Department
of Motor Vehicles. Artist Nancy Rhett designed the beautifully simple plate, and the
DMV cooperated with us completely until
the plate was a reality. Carol and I then ran
an auction for the first 50 plates in January
2007, earning Friends a good bit of money.
People were very willing to pay a premium to
get one of the low numbered plates. Those
license plates are still selling extremely well,
and of course, once you have a plate, you are
certainly going to pay the extra fee to keep
it year after year. It pleases me hugely that
the fees from the sales of the plates are helping Friends stay financially healthy. And, of
course, those plates on so many cars all over
the state advertise our lovely park.
[We should all be very proud and grateful
to Roberta, and others, for our license
plate: to date, the plate has provided
FOHI upwards of $70,000! –Editor]
Past Presidents Look Back II
Bonnie Wright,
2005-2010
As I look back with pride at the significant
accomplishments our organization
has made since its founding, I’m
truly grateful for the help of so many
gifted, dedicated individuals. I am also
especially grateful for the many friends
I have made along the way.
Friends’ success is due to our members’
shared passion for Hunting Island State
Park and the talented leadership working
with park staff in attaining shared
Page 4
goals. I am amazed at what has been
accomplished over 20 years through
teamwork.
The FOHI have completed so many
projects to enhance the quality of visitors’
experiences at the park; we’ve made
huge strides increasing local, state, and
national awareness for our volunteering
efforts; and we’ve formed partnerships
with other environmental organizations
and agencies. These affiliations have
greatly extended our influence and
opportunities to promote our mission in
support of Hunting Island State Park.
As an organization, our faithful volunteers,
board members, coordinators, and
committee chairs have been unfailing in
their dedication. We can all be proud of
the many accomplishments, the history
that has been made, and the legacy we
are passing on to future generations.
In retrospect, I am confident that the
energetic new leadership will continue to be flexible in building on our
strong foundation and take advantage
of whatever opportunities and challenges come our way to expand upon
our mission.
Shave and a Haircut for
Hunting Island Lighthouse
Pete Wolf, “The Lighthouse Guy”
Well folks, the month of October has brought exciting new
activity at the lighthouse. Now that the peak tourist season
is over a different group of visitors is scaling those dreaded
steps. The contractors have arrived and with a whirl of
industriousness that can only be matched by squirrels chasing
each other around the old oak tree, work has begun on needed
restoration to structure and facade.
We have a crew repairing all the windows and restoring
weather-proof integrity throughout the entire structure,
beginning with the cupola, or Light room, as is the proper
terminology, and extending downward to the entrance area.
Next on the list is the complete renewal of electrical wiring
from the source to the top of the light with the added bonus
of upgrade to 120/240vac @30A. Can’t think of a better way
to bring the light up to code and ensure future enhanced
capability. It’s been a long haul from the days of whale oil to
the elusive electron.
All this work is being funded by a combination of membership fees
and the many contributions provided by volunteers and donors.
Through this time and effort, to say nothing of the overwhelming
generosity, you and many others have made this possible.
The state of South Carolina for their part has initiated a
contract to do the interior sandblasting and painting which
will provide restoration to the stairwell and walls and end
with a nice shiny new look throughout the lighthouse. All
these improvements should bring in the New Year with the
many visitors thoroughly enjoying this wonderful icon that
is such a part of the history of the Lowcountry and the great
state of South Carolina.
A Magic Moment at Hunting
Island Lighthouse
Charlie Harrell, FOHI Member and Volunteer
After working as a volunteer Hunting Island lighthouse host for the past
seven years, my wife and I still get excited by the magic moments that take
place there. The most recent of those moments was when four siblings
decided to break the “times climbed” record at the lighthouse. Prior to the
Bowman siblings’ attempt, the record was held by a young man from Tennessee, who in 2011 climbed the lighthouse 17 times in 90 minutes. When
the Bowmans learned of this feat, they decided that they would attempt
to break the one-year old record.
Retiring to a picnic table for a family meeting, they formulated a plan and
then began their execution of said plan. The result was that after 90 minutes, the Bowman siblings had climbed the lighthouse 20 times. While
that feat is remarkable, it’s not the magic moment. The magic came when
the decision was made by the group to stop at 20 after one sibling was
unable to go for number 21. It would have been an easy matter for one or
more of the Bowmans to do one more climb, but they decided that the
attempt was made by the family team and that was how the record would
have to stand.
We would like to congratulate Leila (18), Susanna (15), John (13), and Emily (10) for their record breaking performance and another “magic moment” at the Hunting Island Light Station. Mr. and Mrs. Bowman, you have
great kids and have done a super job raising them.
Page 5
Treasured Volunteer: Carol Molten
Nominated by Mitch Helms
Carol is a native of Columbia, SC, studied Art History at USC, and
then earned her PhD in Art History from Indiana University. She has
also studied ceramics, photography, and hand-papermaking. After
travelling a great deal, living in Florence, Italy, and Palm Beach
County, Florida, she retired to Beaufort in 2004. Carol says she chose
Beaufort after a one-day visit (!) because of its natural beauty, history,
art, and architecture. Since arriving in Beaufort she has developed
as an artist, working in hand-made paper, collage, bead jewelry, and
fiber. Carol started volunteering at the park in 2010, and this spring
she completed the Master Naturalist course, commenting that it is
“one of the best things I have ever done!” Carol leads the Maritime
Forest tour for both park visitors and school groups, and other FOHI
volunteers have cross-trained her to give the Marsh Boardwalk tour. Carol enjoying a perfect LowCountry day
Carol is but one volunteer from our more than 800 families who
makes Friends of Hunting Island the incredible organization it is, and
keeps our beautiful park such a wonderful place. Thank you Carol!
Nature Center Notes
Mitch Helms, Interpretive Ranger
It’s hard to believe that the holidays are nearly upon us, and
for many folks, that includes Halloween! Amanda Wood
and Mark Adams, our Interpretive Program Specialist and
Nature Center Specialist, respectfully, were busy making
sure this year’s Halloween Festival was another fun and
successful affair. Events included face painting, pumpkin
painting, an eyeball bounce, and scary ghost stories. We
thank all those who came out for this spooktacular time!
The Nature Center hosted another Gullah-Geechee Seafood
festival on October 27th that included a traditional oyster
roast, fried fish, barbeque chicken and fixings, as well as
several Gullah Geechee artisans. Great food and fun were
had by all who attended.
Thus far this year, we have 18 schools signed up for
education programs, eight of which are Discover Carolina.
That represents 1,051 students, 535 of whom benefited
from the generosity of the Friends of Hunting Island, who
paid the program fees for these students to attend our SC
curriculum-based educational programming at Hunting
Island. Increasing school participation in our Discover
Carolina programs has been a focused effort of our valued
Education Coordinator, Denise Parsick. We have witnessed
steady growth in both Discover Carolina and non-DC
programming these past three years and expect to set
record numbers again this year. I would like to send a shout
out to David Jennings, Carol Molten, and Margit Resch who
are faithful and dependable partners in teaching and help us
Page 6
to deliver quality educational programming to the students
who attend our programs. These competent, professional
Friends allow us to impact the lives of many more young
people than we would otherwise be able to achieve. Merci
boucoup!
On a final note, I want to recognize the hard work, dedication,
and stewardship of those special folks involved in the
Loggerhead Sea Turtle program. Turtle Co-coordinators
Karen Whitehead, Buddy Lawrence, and Denise Parsick
give so much of themselves and their time, not only during
turtle season, but throughout the year gearing up for
turtle season! Few realize what it takes to prepare for and
implement a resource management program dedicated to
an endangered animal. Recruiting and training volunteers is
but a small part of the effort. Insuring that DNR mandates
and procedures are properly followed is the foundation of
such a major undertaking. Of course, organizing day teams
to cover the beach is another major function of the turtle
directors. The day leaders and team members who are on
the front lines of daily beach patrols are entrusted with
finding crawls and determining the disposition of turtle
nests. Thanks to this year’s day leaders—Perry Dukes,
Cyndi Follrich, Don Gregory, Dick Geier, Bonnie Wright,
Chris Crosley, and Samantha Longo—along with their team
members too numerous to name individually, for your
conscientious devotion and allegiance to our state’s reptile,
Caretta caretta. God bless all of you. Come see us at the
Nature Center!
Hunting Island 2012
5K Event
Tom Valentino, FOHI Vice-President
The annual Hunting Island 5K was held on a beautiful day, October
13, 2012, with 67 runners and a total of 110 running and walking
participants. Our race co-chairs Brandi Byrum and Candice Minnich
did a great job in planning, organizing, and managing the event. A
very attractive framed photo of the Hunting Island Lighthouse, by
Richard Furman, was given as an award to the winners in each age
group. This photo was donated to the Friends for the race and can
be purchased by contacting Richard at [email protected]. We
thank him very much for such a generous gift.
We also thank Brandi and Candice and the help we received from
Fripp EMS, Beaufort County Ham Radio Club, Amanda Wood and the
Hunting Island Park Staff, Road ID, Runners World, Play Hard Timing
and the many members of Friends of Hunting Island who volunteered.
Our program in support of the Discover Carolina Program will receive
over $600 from this event.
OVERALL WINNER Enrique Baez - 20.21
2012 Season
Turtle Report
Karen Whitehead, Co-Coordinator, Loggerhead Turtle Program
We had a great turtle season—thank you to all turtle volunteers! This could not have happened without your help. This
season we had a total of 98 “Turtlers” who logged 4,424 turtle
volunteer hours while also gathering over 880 bags of trash.
Candice Minnich (front) and Brandi Byrum with FEMALE OVERALL
WINNER, Aileen Cangiano Heath, 20.48
ies, check the seaturtle.org web page for Hunting Island.
This season, we had 507 guests who attended our morning
education program, “Come Crawl With Us.” Included in this
count were visitors from Haywood College in NC, several Scout
groups, and a number of elementary school groups.
Again, we thank all our wonderful volunteers for their dedication and passion for this vital program. We are looking forward
to our next season on the beautiful beaches of Hunting Island.
We ended the season with 120 nests. This is the highest number
of nests since FOHI was formed in 1993. This year was also the
third highest number of nests for Hunting Island on record. There
were a total of 341 crawls—120 nests plus 221 false crawls.
We have now participated in the DNR genetic studies program
for three years. The genetic report has not been fully completed but here are some of the preliminary findings. At this
time, 44 DNA samples have been completed and the rest will
be finished later this year. Initial results indicate that there were
25 turtles that nested multiple times on Hunting Island. There
were six females who returned to nest that nested on the island
in 2010. One female returned to nest that had nested in 2009.
There were 18 turtles that nested which were new to the studies for Hunting Island. If you would like updates on these stud-
FOHI members conducting the final turtle nest inventory for 2012. Front
row left to right Teresa Roundy and Richard Parker. The 2nd row, two
guests and Perry Dukes.
Page 7
Friends of Hunting Island State Park
P O Box 844
St. Helena Island, SC 29920
4th Annual Sand Sculpture Contest
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Nancy Grimaldi, Board Secretary and Sand Sculpture Chair
What a fabulous day. Our Sand Sculpture Contest took place during a glorious
sunny and breezy afternoon at the beach in front of the lighthouse.
We
encourage all who volunteer at the
There were once again (5) different categories, plus a Best in Show Award.
park to wear a FOHI shirt or wind- breaker
Participants came from nine states and several cities in SC including Beaufort,
to help visitors and park staff identify you
Fripp Island, Hilton Head Island, Charleston, Aiken and Greenville.
Out Best In Show Award went to Charlie Reamer from Columbia, SC. His entry
as
was titled “Fantasy Castles.”
We continue to increase the number of entries each year. We were up by
20% this year. That represents five additional entries and approximately 20
more folks participating in our contest. This brought the total number of participants to about 125.
a “Friends” volunteer. For purchase
please contact Carolyn Westman
at 838-7100
Member T-SHIRTS (S-M-L-XL)
Our judges were from our arts community in Beaufort—Deanne Bowdish,
Tan
owner of The Gallery, on Bay Street, along with Jenny Rone and JW Rone, who
are the Development Director and Executive Director, respectively, at the Arts
Council of Beaufort County and ArtWorks.
T’s w/turtle logo...$12.00 & XXL
$14.00
It was a wonderful day, full of fun and excitement for everyone. We had lots
of folks who came out to the Park just to view the sculptures, which was
great. Our hope with this event is to bring more people to the Park and instill
Tan
in the kids, as well as adults, the importance of our beach environment and
how to protect it along with having a lot of fun for all.
After all the awards are given and everyone has a chase to view who the winners are, our next “event” is restoring the beach back to exactly how we
found it. This is to protect the turtles as well as people. Sometimes it seems
the kids have as much fun demolishing the sculptures as they do creating
them.
Ladies pale yellow tank
w/turtle logo...$10.00
T’s w/lighthouse logo...$12.00
& XXL $14.00
Green golf shirts w/lighthouse
logo....$18.00 & XXL $22.00